Fighting
by Good Graces
Summary: When was the last time you truly believed someone? When their eyes didn't betray an ulterior motive. Malex.
1. Corbett

*dancing scene idea from WATCHING THE STARLIGHT's she's got me dancin'

**Hey, everybody. So the past couple episodes of Nikita have been let downs in the Malex department so I felt it necessary to write a fanfiction. Lol. Not to say that the episodes weren't awesome because the WERE, but we didn't have ANY scenes. So I hope you guys like this. It picks up after 1.06, and I'm planning to make it into a chapter by chapter story with its own plot, but I'm not sure yet. Just let me know. :) Thanks and I hope you enjoy.**

**_Fighting_**

The guilt ate away at him. Every time Michael began thinking about how he betrayed the one person who had trusted him at Division, he wanted to take the hand gun beneath his pillow and press it against his temple. Yes, as he left her room that night he caught a glimpse of forgiveness in her eyes, but for some reason seeing how much he had hurt her for those few hours hurt him so much more. As he lay in the white sheets of his large bed everything from the past two days came back to haunt him; the bruises along her neck, the burn marks of the wires, the slight limp she had from running barefoot through the forest, the way she looked at him with such trust at the gas station. Michael closed his eyes in anger.

Then the lights in his room flashed on, and the alarm sounded. He reached over to his sleek, black nightstand and hit the button to make the horrid beeping cease. He groaned as he sat up and placed his feet on the floor. For a moment, his hazel eyes stared at the monotonous room, wondering when the last time he felt this guilty was. He had suffered guilt. There was no question about that. Friendly fire in combat, Nikita, but none of those measured up to what he felt just then.

….

"Thank you for coming, Alex." Amanda's calm voice carried over to where Alex had just entered the room. She stood expectantly over the white vanity, and the first thing Alex saw was the red dress that had been on display the first time she had visited Amanda. Alex pursed her lips.

"Well, I didn't really have much of a choice." She directed her complaint at the buff security guard now closing the door to the room. He simply smirked and left Amanda and Alex alone.

"I brought you here today because you have been activated for your second mission…" Amanda watched Alex's expression. Confusion took over.

"I…I just finished my evaluation. I had my first 'mission,' if you can even call that a mission, less than a month ago." Alex watched Amanda warily. "Why?"

Amanda raised her eyebrows. "Percy was actually quite impressed with your evaluation even though much of it was setup. You successfully escaped, and that showed us a great deal of promise." Alex bit her lip. "So if you don't mind I need to get you ready for the mission." She motioned to the white chair in front of the vanity. Alex hesitated for a moment, but Amanda's gaze had a magnetism to it that pulled her toward the chair despite her desire to run the opposite way. She staggered over to the seat.

Alex sank into the chair with a slouch and watched Amanda's expression through the mirror.

"You're going to need to sit up."

_Really…_ Alex straightened her back reluctantly. For some reason every time she was around Amanda she felt the need to be disobedient. Maybe it was the way her voice was always level, or the way her hair and makeup were always perfect, or maybe it was the fact that her face was impossible to read. Maybe it was everything about her.

"So what's the mission?" Alex grumbled as Amanda took out her ponytail and began brushing through the tangles of long brown hair.

"Did we not discuss this last time, Alex?"

Alex sighed in agitation. "You must know something if you know what I have to wear."

Amanda smirked beneath her layers of makeup and lip gloss. "You have a point." Alex smiled in satisfaction. "Well, what I do know is that you will be going to an important…gala."

"Excuse me?"

"It's a very fancy dance, Alex."

"…oh." Alex looked away from the mirror for a moment, thinking about the fact that she was not fancy, could not dance, and was still in training. _This should go well…_ she thought sarcastically.

" Percy is trying to get some leverage on a high end group of drug dealers. From what I understand they are amongst the highest volume traffickers in the world. This should be more of a diplomatic mission than anything, but you _will_ be armed, and you _will _have support." Amanda had finished brushing her hair, and began to pin Alex's hair into a loose, high bun, letting her bangs remain down.

"What kind of support will I have?" Alex asked, wincing as a pin dug into her scalp.

"I don't know exactly, but I do know Michael will be present as you are still in the early stages of your training." A part of Alex felt relieved, another part felt pissed. His presence always made her calmer, and ever since what he had told her in her room she trusted him. It had been a long time since she could even think about the word trust. Then again there was the moment when his words seemed to be nothing but lies. Amanda glanced at Alex's softened expression. "What is it, Alex?"

"Oh," Alex stumbled for words, "nothing." Amanda watched her for a moment too long. For a while there was silence partially because if Alex moved at all she was sure Amanda would berate her for making her mess up on her makeup and partially because Alex could tell Amanda suspected something. It was impossible to tell exactly what, but Amanda watched her with a new light in her eyes, and Alex refused to make her anymore suspicious by continuously speaking.

Alex's mind drifted back towards her evaluation as Amanda worked concealer over her bruised neck. A section of her brain wanted to be angry with Michael for allowing her to nearly be cancelled, but then his words would seep back into her memory, and however frustrating it was the anger would melt away.

_Look. We'll make this right okay? I'm not gonna let them do anything to you. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you…I'm not going to lose you too._

"Alright, Alex. You just need to get dressed."

"Okay," Alex replied as coolly as possible. "What am I wearing?" Amanda's smile broadened as she brought forth the red dress.

"_This_." Alex looked at her as if she had lost her mind.

….

Michael stood in the middle of the extravagant foyer, taking a quick look at his watch. He sighed and rolled his eyes, tugging his black Armani tuxedo jacket in agitation. He looked around at the sea of well dressed people. All adorned by diamonds, Rolex watches, and designer dresses and suits. Michael pressed a finger to the ear bud in his ear.

"Where is Alex? She was supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago." Michael's low voice came off with a little more edge than he meant, but in places like these he felt more tense than usual.

_So much better when I can see who's going to shoot at me…_

"Amanda said she'll be there in a minute," Birkhoff responded. He laughed in amusement. "Something about not being able to get Alex into a dress." A twinkle of hilarity pulled one side of Michael's mouth up into a half smile.

"What'd she have to do? Wrestle her into it?" Michael asked sarcastically. He gazed around the room, assessing the situation.

"Hmmm…I'd like to see that." Birkhoff said suggestively. "Hey…" The rest of his words were lost to Michael as his hazel eyes locked onto Alex. She obviously had not spotted him yet as her eyes continued to pan the foyer. She walked through the throngs of people stumbling once in the heels she wore. Michael watched her, simply forgetting for a moment who he was and who she was, and then it all came back to him. A soft smile clung to his lips as he walked briskly over to where she stood. She was facing away from him so he placed a hand on her shoulder. He could feel the muscles of her back tense as she turned around, but when she caught sight of him her shoulders drooped a bit in relief.

"Oh, it's you." She said, cracking a bitter smile.

Michael smirked. "…and you're late," he whispered in her ear. His hazel eyes settled on hers in that intense, brooding way, and Alex could feel the smile slip off of her face as her pulse quickened considerably. It reminded her so much of that night. Michael watched her reaction and removed his hand from her shoulder. She glanced away in distraction at the passing waiters with short glasses of potent alcoholic beverages.

"Corbett is already here." He continued watching her as her fascination with the event obviously grew. Alex took a moment more before responding.

"Well, where is he?" she questioned impatiently. Michael nodded his head subtly in the direction of an extremely well dressed man with two pieces of arm candy clinging to him. "What are we waiting for? Let's get the intel." Alex made several steps in the direction of the man. Adrian Corbett looked up at Alex and winked. Her steps faultered, and she began to feel her face flush red as the man looked her up and down unabashedly. Alex's eyes remained glued to his for a brief few seconds before she felt Michael's hand firmly wrap around her wrist and practically drag her in the other direction.

Michael pulled Alex behind him until they were in one of the smaller less congested rooms of the mansion. "What were you doing?" he hissed, pulling her around to face him.

Alex watched him in frustration with brows furrowed. "I was _trying_ to get the information."

"It's not that simple, Alex," he whispered, watching her face intently.

Alex rolled her eyes, and caught sight of the waiter toting around a tray of drinks on the rocks. She reached out and grabbed one of the beverages.

"Thank you," Alex said fluttering her lashes, sweeping away any doubt in the waiter's eyes as to her eligibility to drink. When he was gone Alex looked straight at Michael, and began to drain the glass of the beige liquid, keeping eye contact the entire time. Michael crossed his arms across his chest, and had to resist the urge to laugh as she winced at the taste.

"Alex…"

"Yes?" she replied in a challenging tone, swirling the drink around in its ornate glass.

"First," Michael gently took the drink from her hand, his fingers touching hers for the briefest of moments, reminding Alex even more of why she needed to distance herself. Michael locked his hazel eyes on hers and drained the remains of the more than half full glass. He set the glass down on a nearby table with hardly a sound. "Second, we need to have a talk." Michael placed an arm around her waist and led her to the dance floor. She allowed him to steer her so as not to attract any attention. A slow classical piece was being played by a live orchestra. Michael settled his hands at Alex's waist, trying to keep his facial features intact and not let his eyes drift to the neckline of her dress.

"Where do I…"

"Around my neck," Michael murmured as he began to sway to the music. Alex did as she was told, and placed her arms around his neck. "Now just follow my lead." Alex grimaced.

"The last time I followed your lead I was almost cancelled or have you forgotten already?" The question bit away at Michael's impassive face.

"No, I haven't," he replied looking away from Alex. She detected the guilt even beneath the mask he wore, and for a moment felt regret. "But I told you in your room that I was telling the truth. I would _not_ let _anything_ happen to you." Michael refocused his hazel eyes on Alex, and attempted to impound his remorse into her. Subconsciously he tightened his grip on her waist as he pulled her closer. Alex's weakened resolve showed on her face. She took a deep breath and felt part of herself give into his words, but she could feel her chest tighten and constrict in retaliation. The other part of her, the part that's entire purpose was to keep her from getting hurt again, would not give in. At least not yet.

The music ended in one final wavering note and the couples on the dance floor came to a slow halt. Michael kept his arms around Alex, and continued staring into her eyes.

"Excuse me," a man's voice interrupted as he tapped Michael's shoulder. Michael tore his eyes away from Alex's to address the man behind him.

"Yes?" Michael's eyes almost imperceptibly narrowed as he recognized the profile of the man. It was Adrian Corbett.

"I was wondering if I could steal a dance," he responded, nodding at Alex. She smiled flirtatiously despite the bile building in her stomach.

Michael cleared his throat and nodded his head uncomfortably. "Of course."

Corbett held out his hand to Alex and she took it, forcing herself not to look back at Michael.


	2. Disposable

**Hey everybody. Sorry about the semi-late update. I was getting my thoughts in order, and the story thought out. ;) So I did decide to made this a multi chapter story. Thank you everyone for your reviews and support. Honestly, I think that's why anyone posts anything on fanfiction. (to get reviews...) Because it really does make you want to write more. Realistically I'm only going to be able to update every week. :) Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoy the chapter. Malex... **

_Disposable_

Michael drained yet another glass of hard liquor as he watched Corbett's hand travel even farther down Alex's back. His hazel eyes burned with hatred as he watched Alex tense up, making her neck muscles harden and strain in apprehension. She briefly glanced at Michael, and her eyes radiated a certain isolated look. She disappeared behind the large, imposing form of Corbett as he turned her to waltz in the opposite direction. He leaned forward dangerously close to her ear and whispered something. Alex's face changed for a brief moment from a flirtatious façade to true shock.

_Hell. No._ Michael threw back the last of his third glass, slammed it on the marble counter, and stood up.

…..

"What do you say we get out of here? Maybe go upstairs…" Adrian pushed his hand lower and groped Alex's backside. He pulled away from her ear, and repositioned his eyes on her face which had just barely been able to regain its composure. Alex hesitated for a moment.

_No, no, NO! No...Oh, son of a bitch…_

"How about a few more dances," Alex replied, pulling one side of her mouth up in what appeared to be a smirk. "Maybe we can get to know each other a little better?" In her peripheral vision Alex spotted movement from Michael. She looked over and realized Michael was motioning subtly for her to turn on her earpiece. She easily pretended to be moving a strand of hair behind her left ear, and gently tapped the almost imperceptible piece of plastic.

Corbett's expression changed to one of eagerness. "Fine, two."

Alex gave him a smoldering look. "Of cours-"

"_I'm going up to search his room. Are you okay here_?" Michael's anger was barely contained, but the quavering in his voice betrayed the restraint he had to use to control himself. Alex smiled and rose her chin just a bit in Michael's direction. He nodded back, but could detect the fear in Alex's expression.

Michael seethed as he walked away down a side hallway. The image of Alex's near painted smile almost drove him to turn around and knock the daylights out of Corbett.

"_Birkhoff, I need the location of Adrian Corbett's room._" Michael walked quickly, trying to remain inconspicuous while not wasting any time. He passed several drunken couples, noticing how easily their snooty demeanors and sense of dignity slipped with a little lubrication from the alcohol.

"_Okay. Let me just check Shadownet._" Michael rolled his eyes. "_Is Alex with you_?"

Michael's mouth twitched in annoyance. "_No, she's keeping Corbett occupied._" Birkhoff smiled when he heard the hint of anger in Michael's tone.

"_Hmm…occupied as in drinks, dancing, or…pleasuring_?" Michael noticed the suggestive tone in his voice.

"_Damn it, Birkhoff. Dancing, and would you shut up. Just give me the directions, and keep an eye on that bastard._"

…..

Alex was relieved that she was not entirely alone. The sound of Michael's voice over the earpiece, along with the occasional Birkhoff aside, lulled her into a sense of calm.

"_I'm in. Give me ten minutes". _The comment made Alex let out a small sigh of relief as she moved her body robotically in time with music, staring off into the crowds of people. They all looked so happy, so blissfully happy, but she made the mistake of looking closer. One woman's makeup had begun to fade, revealing the faint shadow of a bruise along her jaw line. A man with a ring on his finger watched alone from the side of the dance where his wife danced with another. A girl staggered behind a man from the main room the pain in her eyes drowned by several glasses of champagne.

_Such a great metaphor for my life. All a lie…it's for my parents though. It's for my parents. Isn't it?_ Alex, not for the first time, questioned herself, but had to leave the question as unanswered as it ever was as the music came to a stop; the final crescendo of the stringed instruments resonating within the room. Corbett came back to reality as well; however, his thoughts were on a completely different subject. One that involved his eyes wandering over Alex's body.

"Well, are you ready, my dear?" Adrian asked almost impatiently. Alex felt her heart rate increase, but not out of pleasure; out of fear. She knew that it would come to this, but she was banking on Michael being done before he actually got her out of the ballroom. She pushed a smile onto her face despite the panic that engulfed her, and Corbett led her into the hallways.

"_Michael, you have to get out of there. Corbett's on his way." _Birkhoff's voice practically yelled in her ear. Alex shifted uncomfortably as she walked. She felt almost sure that Corbett would have been able to hear that last comment. He did not show any sign of it though.

"_I thought he was with Alex."_ Michael said quickly.

"_He is"._ Birkhoff replied.

Complete silence followed.

"You know I've been thinking…" Alex nearly jumped at the sound of Corbett's voice.

"What's that?" Alex attempted a sultry voice.

"That you've been so great to me this evening that I would indulge you."

"What do you mean?" Alex questioned truly confused.

"Did I ever tell you what business I'm in?" Corbett's eyes glinted with pleasure. Alex swallowed. "I get _a lot_ of benefits that I think you would enjoy." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a shot filled with a clear liquid; white particles floated around as if they had not yet been dissolved. Cocaine.

Alex forced a giggle. "Thank you, but I'm actually trying to stay clean."

"Oh, well I didn't ask you." Corbett's facial expression suddenly changed. It grew malicious. He grabbed Alex's arm and pulled her toward him roughly, causing her to stumble.

"Let me go." Alex growled through gritted teeth.

"No. I want you to send Percy a message."

"…who?" Alex could feel her heart rate quicken to an abnormal speed. _He knows…_

"You spies are so foolish. You think you're invincible. You think you're indestructible. You think you're untraceable. Well, I know about Division, and I know that Percy is desperate for money. That slimy son of a bitch. You just tell him that he won't be using me. I know what games he plays, and I know about his black boxes. He is under my thumb. Not the other way around. And as for the underlings who do his dirty work…" Corbett gently stroked Alex's cheek, and she simply watched him in terror. "You are but pawns in this game. Insignificant, unimportant…" Corbett held up the needle in front of Alex's electric blue eyes. "…disposable."

She screamed as she felt the cold steel of the needle penetrate the taught skin of her neck, and the liquid, like fire, entered her bloodstream. Her pulse quickened. Her dilated eyes glanced wildly around as the strength in her legs failed her. She collapsed to the floor. Her heart quickened. _How fast can my heart go? _She wondered. As if to test this question her pulse continued to race, and then her breathing followed. Corbett smirked down at his handiwork and then left. He did not look back at the body suffering spasms on the floor. He did not feel remorse. His eyes were cold and lifeless.

Alex felt as if the world was spinning, and her body were the source of a major earthquake. _Is it hot in here?_ Her body temperature rose. Her labored breathing wracked her body. Everything was moving fast. Then everything stopped, and the last thing Alex saw before shutting her eyes was Michael, running towards her, yelling something unintelligible. Something that lost its meaning because when she saw his face filled with hurt, pain, and fear she did not need to hear his words. They were but words. In spite of the numbness that began to fill her body she could not help but feel safe even has her heart slowed and vision faded. Just knowing that someone cared was enough.


	3. Worry

**Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in a while. Lol. I don't really have an excuse...except for life. :P Well, here's another chapter. Let me know what you think. I really want to know if this is worth continuing. I know it's probably not completely clear what I'm planning, but this is what I'm aiming for. I want to keep all of the aspects of what has happened in the show, but incorporate my own plotline into it (thus the whole "Corbett" scenario which is definitely not over...). Thanks and I hope you enjoy!**

"You should have followed Corbett!"

"And just let her die?"

"Damn straight. You follow orders and get the job done or have you forgotten how to do that ever since Nikita?"

"That was nothing…"

There was a moment of silence.

"Don't test me, Michael. You should've done your job."

The tension in the room was palpable. Hate dripped from Michael's hazel eyes as he stared at Percy. His hatred had grown with such passion and disdain that he had to keep his arms crossed in front of himself to refrain from doing something he might regret. Michael's eyes drifted to the window to the recovery room, and found it in himself to hold his tongue. Percy smirked at the silence.

"I expect you in my office in an hour. I have an important mission to discuss." With those final words Percy left the room, leaving Michael to his seething thoughts.

As soon as the door swung shut Michael slammed his fist against the wall. For a moment he just leaned against the wall, forehead resting against the white paint. Yesterday she was dead. Yesterday someone had killed her. Yesterday it had been his fault. _Damnit. _Guilt flooded Michael's eyes as he thought about the promise he had made to Alex. That he would keep her safe. That he would not let anything happen to her, and then it occurred to him how he had almost broken that promise. That empty look in her blue eyes still haunted him. He still couldn't name exactly what he had done to revive her. He had been on autopilot.

_His shaking hand removed the syringe from her delicate neck, and threw it across the hallway…Leaned her head back…Breathed for her…An eternity, but he continued her breathing…And then watched as she was shocked…Waited impatiently for the response…EMT's surrounding her body…and then she took a shaky breath…and he released the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. She had looked around, lost for a moment, but then she saw him…_

Michael stood up straight, and stared at Alex through the glass. He noticed an almost imperceptible twitch of her hand and simply continued to watch over her…

…..

Alex: I was just released from medical.

Nikita: I wish I had been able to help. Corbett is now on Division's kill list and mine.

Alex: I'm fine. Promise.

Nikita: I've just connected the shell program to a laptop so I will be in as constant communication as I can. This won't happen again.

Alex: Understood. I'll feed you information as soon as I find something.

Nikita: Good. We need to find out what Corbett is up to. He obviously knows more about division than us. We can use that to our advantage.

Alex: Ok. Got to go. Someone's coming.

LOGOFF

The sound of footsteps echoed down the hall to the computer lab. Alex quickly hit the escape button, and the shell chat box disappeared from the screen. Alex had been given three days recovery, and was finding it difficult to simply stay in her room and rest as ordered.

"Alex, shouldn't you be recovering?" Thom asked, worry evident on his face as he stepped into the computer lab. Alex rolled her eyes at his concern and smiled.

"Why does everyone keep telling me that?"

"Do I really need to explain what happened? It's not every day that someone dies from an overdose and is successfully brought back to life." Thom took several steps closer, the sound of his dress shoes the only thing breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"I'm _fine_. Keep in mind I was in medical for several days too. Besides what are _you_ doing here?" Alex questioned raising an eyebrow. "Don't you have some high security mission to attend to?"

"Actually yes." Thom said inclining his head toward Alex, and letting a small smirk slip onto his lips. "I was just here for the briefing, but then I heard what happened on your mission so I came to check on you."

"Thanks." Alex replied quickly looking away. An awkward silence filled the room, and Alex could feel her neck muscles tense up. "Well, better get going. Don't want to be caught by anyone else out of my room." Alex gave him one last smile and brushed past him into the hall.

_That was definitely awkward…_ Alex took a deep breath of air and continued to her room.

…..

"Yes, it's Kasim." Percy stared at Michael with those steely blue eyes.

"You're sure?" Michael replied, obvious anger cropping into his tone.

"Positive. The CIA had been tracking an Uzbek money launderer and this is who they found."

"Where's the meet?" Michael questioned. His eyes locking with Percy's for the first time since he had entered the room, all tensions of the day no longer seeming to matter. Hatred burned through his heart until it was numb to everything else. Only Kasim mattered, and now that they had a lead he was not going to let him slip through his fingers again. Not again.

"I can't assign a mission into Uzbekistan." Percy said coolly.

"You know what this means to me." Michael prodded, feeling his hand ball up into a fist at his side.

Percy held up his hand for silence. "However, seeing as this has so much personal attachment I am providing you forty-eight hours of personal leave to anywhere in the world."

Michael's eyes widened a fraction of an inch. He hadn't expected this understanding from Percy. No words came to his mind, only the thought of revenge against the one person who had caused him so much pain. The one person who took everything from him. Kasim. Michael merely nodded in Percy's general direction and walked out of his office with purpose.

_I know exactly where I'm going._ Michael narrowed his eyes and walked down the hallway toward the elevator that led to the surface. He whipped around the corner so fast that he knocked into someone. Automatically, he reached out and grabbed her shoulders to steady her.

"Woah, going somewhere?" Alex asked, placing a hand on the wall, and stepping out of Michael's grip.

"I'm leaving for a mission." His hazel eyes softened as they took in her appearance. She sounded her normal sarcastic self, but a few things were off. Her breathing was just a little too quick to be normal, her skin paler, and where the syringe had entered a bruise had blossomed. After a few second he added ", you should be in your room."

Alex glared at him. "I'm _fine_. Seriously, can everybody stop telling me that? I don't think I look _that_ bad."

"Go to your room, Alex," Michael said with finality before brushing past her. His shoulders were squared and he seemed to be more tense than usual. Alex watched as he left her standing in the hallway.

_Something's up with him._ Alex quickly made her decision. She grimaced and walked back to the computer lab to ask Nikita about what course of action she should follow next. Something didn't feel right, and now as Alex watched Michael disappear behind the elevator doors she noticed the large gun case he carried at his side, and the manila folder held close to his chest. Part of her felt a twinge though. Something that caused her brow to furrow and heart to race just a little bit faster. Almost like worry.

Alex shook her head quickly. _No sympathy for the enemy…_

…..

Nikita leaned her head back as she read the message Alex had just sent her, and took a deep breath. She had been tracking Kasim. This just reaffirmed the fact that Michael now knew about it. The illuminated map of the world on Nikita's computer screen beeped, and a red dot appeared above the Atlantic Ocean. Nikita closed her eyes. She could almost see the way Michael stared out the window at the sea below, remaining stock still. How he sat in his appointed seat on the plane probably mapping out ways to kill Kasim.

_He can't do it alone. _And with that, Nikita stood and readied herself for departure.

**Thanks for reading! Please let me know whether this is worth continuing. :) Oh, and go MALEX! LOL. Who else thought the mid season finale was epic? (and we finally got Malex moments!)**

***Be warned: I am now officially obsessed with Nikita. ;)**


	4. Alone

**Hey everybody! Pretty quick update right? Lol. So this is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy…I actually kind of like this one…so, yeah. Oh, and I saw some other people doing this, and thought I would start. I think it's nice when people address other people's reviews, and I wanted to reply to several of yours so this kind of worked out anyway. Thank you to those who alerted me and read that means a lot, and to those who reviewed…**

**EricDelko's3Lil'Angels – Lols. Thanks I appreciate it a lot! Can't wait for January 27…too long. Ugh.**

**tamilnadu09 – Definitely epic. And I felt the same way. While I didn't like Alex with Thom, I didn't want him to die. That was just so sad and heart wrenching…Anyway, thanks for your review!**

**yourname316 – Thanks so much for the encouragement! :o)**

**vampiricmermaid – Lol. Dang straight! You know what's funny…I never knew how people could get obsessed with shows and books until now…I feel lame. LOL. BUT IT"S SO GOOD! :)**

**eljammal1986 – Thanks, dude. I appreciate your compliment. And yes MALEX is amazing. I honestly don't see the Mikita chemistry everyone talks about. I mean at times I do, but idk, it's just not there for me. [mini rant] lol. Thanks again.**

One punch, two punches, three. Alex lost count as she sent another flurry of hits at the punching bag, and it swayed precariously. Sweat dripped from her forehead, and strands of hair fell loose from her ponytail, but she continued the bombardment upon the unsuspecting punching bag.

_Where are they?_ Alex threw a high kick to change up the pace. _–should've been back by now…I've had to deal with this shit on my own… _Alex took a sidelong glance at Jaden, and it didn't surprise her that Jaden was watching her every move. Their eyes met for a fraction of a second, and Alex took in a few labored breaths before returning to her onslaught. She could still feel Jaden's eyes on her back. If she had hated Alex before it was nothing compared to this. _That's right, keep staring. You can't do anything. I have the pic._ However small the consolation was that she had dirt on Jaden it just made it that much more difficult to think. It was yet another thing to worry about in an already complex and dangerous mission, and Alex had no doubt that the blackmail on Jaden wouldn't last but a week.

Alex smirked though. It had been interesting to enlist Jaden's help in the 'doctor' situation. Even Amanda had believed her story with Jaden's backup.

"Recruits, head to sparring!" The voice of one of the security guards boomed through the training room. Alex looked up. It was almost a surprise to hear someone yell at them. That was usually Michael. For a fraction of a moment Alex had thought it truly was Michael, but the light in her blue eyes quickly faded when she realized it was not.

_It shouldn't matter anyway. _Alex thought as she threw her white towel over her shoulder and began filing out with all of the other recruits. Of course, she fell in right next to Jaden who merely smirked at her in that passive aggressive way.

"Hey, bitch, just wanted to say congratulations that you actually made it back to us." Alex continued her walking, trying to think of anything but Jaden. "You know, I'm actually glad you got your_ missions_. I mean at least they know that you're not all that now. Percy and Michael I mean." Alex pursed her lips, and could feel anger building in her stomach.

_How far away is the effing sparring room?_

"You know…" Jaden began with mock realization, "haven't all of your missions been _escorts_ or _distractions_. Maybe Percy knows that's all you ever were and all you'll ever be…"

_Keep talking, Jaden, keep talking…_

"And obviously since Michael doesn't object he feels the same…" Jaden let the sentence linger in the air, and watched as Alex's passive expression slip into one of anger.

"You can go to hell, Jaden." Alex said, not even sparing Jaden a glance to the side.

"I will, but God knows you'll be following me." Jaden smirked when Alex didn't respond, and feeling that her work was done moved on further up the line. Alex grimaced at Jaden's last sentence.

_Probably _am_ doing the wrong thing. That's what I've done my whole life. Why should it be any different now?_ Alex could feel the doubt creep in again, followed by the anger at Division, and finally the turmoil she felt in her gut.

…..

Michael stared out the window of the plane his black hat pulled low over his face in an attempt to conceal the swelling and bruises, but it was a failed mission just like Kasim had been.

_I was so damn close._ Michael stared at his deeply cut hand where the piece of glass had dug into his skin. It had almost numbed the pain, being so close to his revenge, so close to his family. He had been so close, and then _she _had taken it all away from him. Her face was etched into his mind as the person who prevented him from his mission. Whether that mission was killing Kasim or himself he was still unsure.

…..

Alex walked into her room, and slammed the door. She daintily touched her wrist and immediately winced. The sparring session had been horrible. She had not won a single match, and had now sprained her wrist. This whole situation was getting to her. She was virtually alone. The mental stress of keeping her true mission from Division was tiring as hell. Jaden was now in on her secret. And her new worry about Michael had refused to resolve itself as once again Nikita had not responded to her.

_So much for being in as much contact as possible._ Alex thought harshly, using her good hand to pull back the sheets of her bed. She crawled into the warmth of the covers and lay back on the pillow, completely exhausted. It only took a moment before sleep overtook her, and even then she could not find peace.

Corbett slowly moved toward Alex's unconscious body. She stared at him unable to move or do anything. Not even to scream. As he moved closer he began muttering things. It almost sounded seductive in nature. Alex glanced back and forth her blue eyes filled with fright.

_This is not happening._

Corbett continued to close in upon her. Alex could feel the syringe in her neck, and almost felt like an animal. She was tranquilized for his personal needs. In fact, the more she thought about it, she was less than an animal. She was a _thing_. Meant to be used and only used. She had no feeling or thoughts to people like Corbett. She was something to be had, and then Corbett was upon her. In her mind she screamed. In reality she lay there, unable to do anything. The more things progressed, the more she felt like she was thirteen again. She felt trapped, isolated. She had nothing to live for.

_This is not happening._

And then Corbett's face shifted. Alex couldn't quite make out their face, but it seemed familiar. As if she had seen it in a dream. The face shifted again and again and again, but the haze of drugs she had been under prevented her from remembering any of _their_ faces.

…..

Alex opened her eyes, cold sweat covering her body. She was breathing heavily, and everything was spinning. Her eyes had a hurt look about them, almost broken. The vulnerability of a thirteen year old girl, and Alex only found it in herself to whisper one word.

"Help…"

This defenselessness only lasted a moment before her eyes hardened once again. There would be no one to help her. She knew that this was _her_ mission, and nothing anyone said or did could change that. In an attempt to calm down, Alex got out of bed and walked out of her room, sure to shut the door quietly. This was definitely past curfew.

She walked through the dark halls, clearing her mind of everything. Her rate began to slow down. Walking helped.

It was near 2 am so Alex was surprised when she saw dim light coming from the training room, and a faint rhythmic sound accompanied by the gentle squeak of metal on metal. Alex walked forward slowly and peered around the corner. She felt her heart stop for a second as if adjusting itself, and then restart with renewed strength.

Michael was battered and bruised and looked horrible. He wore a black t shirt and jeans instead of his normal suit, and Alex had to take this in for a moment because it was impossible to not notice the muscles that were so easily hidden beneath his normal wardrobe. He was punching the crap out of the same punching bag Alex had been attacking earlier. She had to smirk at the irony. Almost as if he had felt her stare, Michael turned to look over. Their eyes connected for a moment. Any reasonable person caught staring at someone in the dead of night would have turned and walked back to their bed. Instead Alex walked further into the light, and down into the gym.

"What are you doing up?" Michael asked, continuing his punching.

"Couldn't sleep," Alex responded, shrugging her shoulders as if it were nothing. "You look awful." Michael gave her a look, and then returned to what he was doing. "How did the mission go?"

At this Michael turned to face her. The punching bag continued swinging, but after a moment Michael held out his arm to stop it. "Exactly how I look…awful."

Immediately Alex tensed. "What happened?"

"Someone interfered…"

Alex stared at him for a moment in bewilderment. "Who?"

Michael broke contact with her eyes, and turned his head away as if in shame. Alex felt the need to walk over to him, but settled with merely taking a step forward. Michael was the best at what he did. She couldn't think of a single reason why he would've failed. Finally, he looked up. It was surprising how much pain covered his battered face. The word exited his mouth barely more than a whisper, but the amount of venom it contained could have killed. "Nikita…"

Immediately Alex felt dread. _She never told me…that she would be involving herself in this mission…what makes this one so important?_ Alex stared at Michael, until his hazel eyes met hers. "Did you not have back up?"

"I shouldn't be discussing this with you," Michael responded, his eyes hardening to the point where all other emotions were shut out. Alex winced at the statement, and the already dim light of the room seemed to get even darker. Michael returned to his punching bag.

After a minute of nothing but Michael beating the crap out of the punching bag, Alex stepped forward warily, and placed a hand on Michael's shoulder. She immediately felt his shoulder tense at her touch. He stopped the punching, and turned to look at her, his hazel eyes studying her face. Alex almost drew back from the intensity, but stood her ground.

"I think the punching bag's done for, Michael," she whispered, "Now I," Alex stepped back and into a fighting stance, "am well rested, and more of a challenge…" She smirked when he pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes.

"There are several things wrong with this; past curfew," he took a step forward, "you're still…recovering," Michael looked down at her wrapped wrist, "apparently you've done something to yourself." Michael was slowly closing the distance between the two. His head was now inclined towards her, and despite the bruises on his face, his expression had softened.

"I think you're just scared," Alex responded, raising her eyebrows, "besides I could beat you with one arm behind my back." At that Michael lunged forward.

**Sooo….what'd you think? If you've got time to review, please do! (It makes me happy :) Oh, and if anybody knows anything about the upcoming episodes or even just Nikita news lol, please tell me! Thanks, and see ya soon**!


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